Posts tagged ‘Mad Craft Shoppe’

Don’t Spend It Honey dioramas: Washing Line – by A Shay Hahn, as seen in the Paper Nickels CD book

Chilly out there. Here’s some stuff to read.

Reasoning behind this post? Talking with a friend last night over dinner about how some social media is done really really well. And other social media is being done in such a half-assed fashion that it makes me grind my teeth.

Also it’s kind of a written down version of the social media seminar I gave last week for b[ART]er and I needed to do that as the Great Computer Crash of 2012 lost me my presentation notes.

Looking at the done really, really well examples – two friends of mine Andrew Shay Hahn (visual artist) and Corin Raymond (troubadour). So we’re clear – I’m not talking about big companies with budgets and staff and communications teams – these are people. And artists – I don’t presume to talk about the twitter habits of Hyperglobalmegacorp, Inc.

How are they doing it well? The last three words of that sentence up there – these are people. You know it’s them, you know they are real. They tell stories, they engage, they don’t ask you to do things for their benefit only, they have fun. You want to meet them in real life – as people. Much as I hate the “I’d like to have a beer with Presidential candidate X” – it’s true in this instance. Last night we kept trying to think of the reasons why their efforts work so well and kept coming back to, “Because it’s Shay. Because it’s Corin.” Always came back to the person.

Their followers feel as though they are a part of something bigger, and it translates into – yes, again – real people.

The social media world we work in as artists is a small one. There’s a person behind every click, every like, every comment, and odds are good we know many of the people behind those clicks, likes and comments. Because social media has the word social in it does not mean it’s not a business (yes, we’re talking business here, Do whatever you’d like on your wall – cats, babies, famous quotes from unknown people – your call.)

Social media is trickier than traditional marketing. I expect a poster and a postcard as a reminder/call to action/buy a ticket. That’s its purpose. It’s a one way push out – I want you to do something. Social media indicates wanting to engage with someone. Give and take, back and forth.

“Do you know so and so?”“Yes – well I mean, we’re friends on Facebook.”

That’s a whole new arena of friendship to maneuver through. How does some one know you, if they “only” know you through Facebook? Or follow you on Twitter?

I go again to my constantly used example of social media being like a cocktail party. Think of the people you want in your house, and who you’d want to talk to at a party. Is it the guy who’s constantly blathering about HIS stuff, never letting you get a word in edgewise? The host who won’t let you have a conversation anywhere but in one spot? Or is it the person who is funny and charming and seems to genuinely be interested in you as a person, not what you can do for them?

If social media is the only way you can afford to market, I totally get that. But just because you build it doesn’t mean they will come. If you are inconsistent or excessive or it’s all about you – don’t expect it. Clicking “like” is not a difficult task. Actually liking takes a bit more work – make it worthwhile. And if you’re not sure how to begin, three articles below. And if you’ve already started without being sure where to begin, read up, keep warm!